Devblog #24. New Demo Version v0.48

Hello everyone.

On August 1, I plan to release a new demo version of IRSEN on Steam. Two months have passed since the previous major update, and during that time hundreds of changes have accumulated across the game. I have collected the most important of them in this devlog. I would like to go through the updates to the mechanics, visual systems, and overall run structure. Starting next week, I will move on to the next stage of development, while version 0.48 will become available for testing.

The biggest change is the new dungeon structure. I rewrote the map generator and replaced the randomly created square-shaped dungeons with a system that builds each floor as a connected graph of rooms. Movement through the floor is no longer completely random: there is now a starting room, a final room, a main route connecting them, and branches leading away from that route.

Alongside this update, I reworked the minimap, added a larger floor map, and introduced new rules for placing objects, enemies, and chests inside rooms. Previously, these were mostly positioned at random points. Now each placement is selected according to the shared rules of the generation system. More importantly, a floor is no longer one large area that must be cleared all at once. I divided each floor into smaller sectors. After completing a sector, the player arrives at the Processing Station, where they can consider what to do next. They can descend deeper or remain on the same floor and enter another sector selected through one of the station modules.

The selected sector type affects the structure of the map, the number of enemies, and the chances of encountering champions or rewards. The Processing Station has become an intermediate hub within the run. It also contains the Stabilization Module, where the player can heal the character and reduce their corruption level.

The reward system has been completely reworked. In the previous version, I introduced the ability to extract a gene from a defeated enemy. I have now expanded this system. The number of extraction attempts is shared across all defeated enemies, allowing the player to decide which targets are worth spending those attempts on. Each enemy has its own profile of possible gene archetypes, and an extraction attempt can fail. Instead of immediately extracting a gene, the player can preserve the enemy’s body as a biospecimen. It occupies one of a limited number of slots, can be used at the Processing Station, and also serves as a resource for progressing through the floor.

After every battle, the player must choose between immediately strengthening the character and preparing for further progress. A specific gene may be useful right now, while a preserved specimen can help unlock the next sector or reduce corruption. This system connects combat, build development, and map exploration into a shared gameplay loop.

Another major addition is the character origin system. I created six starting genome variants, each with its own set of genes and one skill property already installed on a gene. This is not especially important in version 0.48, because the player can still apply any property from the unlocked library to any compatible gene.

However, I plan to rework the property system for the next version, making every discovered property more meaningful. The demo includes the Bastion and Neuropath genomes, both of which change the beginning of a run. The remaining origins can be viewed in the menu, but they will remain exclusive to the full version.

The way acquired genes are managed has also changed. All main operations involving an individual gene can now be performed through a shared menu opened by right-clicking the gene directly on the Gene Map. The previous separate windows and the need to perform these actions through a dedicated laboratory have been removed. Stabilization, destabilization, consumption, and property management are now collected in this single menu. The Gene Map itself has also received a visual update, including new slots, chain connections, and clearer feedback when links are created or broken. Newly acquired skills now receive visual feedback instead of simply appearing in the skill container.

Mutations and skills have also received a major visual update. Mutations are now displayed as individual cards and collected into a list for easier viewing. Gaining a new skill, losing one, or increasing its rank is accompanied by visual and audio feedback. Skills now have full information cards, making it easier to evaluate the current build and track skill ranks.

I also added the Character Archive to the main menu. After a run ends, a card containing its results is automatically saved to the Archive. This is not a form of metaprogression. At the moment, it serves as a record of the player’s history, allowing successful and failed runs and builds to be compared.

In addition to the major systems, the new version includes an updated 3D model for the hero and a new set of matching player portraits. I also reworked the tooltips, onboarding, loading screen, save system, and several elements of the combat interface.

I also added an experimental automatic combat mode. When enabled, the hero fights without direct player input. The AI can use defensive, offensive, and healing abilities, although it does not act particularly intelligently. I do not plan to turn IRSEN into a game built around automated runs.

The demo is still limited to four floors, two origins, one scenario, and the basic difficulty level. However, these restrictions now define a complete section of the game rather than a collection of separate mechanics. I plan to make the new IRSEN demo available for download on Steam on August 1. After the demo is released, I will return to reworking skill properties. They should become the foundation for the next stage of build development.